The Bushfield Oval-based netball team had its fair share of ups and downs during the season, but in the lead-up to finals, the Eagles hit their stride.

Now, they’re just one win away from another grand final appearance.

“It’s like we thrive on finals,” Eagles playing co-coach Elisha Carter said.

“I think we like that pressure because we always seem to play better in the tight games.”

Carter has a fairly good idea of what it takes to win a senior netball flag.

A brief stint at Warrnambool and District league club Merrivale saw her play in her first senior grand final and premiership.

After having her eldest child Ivy, now three years old, she played in her first Hampden flag with North Warrnambool Eagles in 2015.

Carter sat out the 2016 season when she had her second child Regie, now 11 months, but is hitting peak form.

She said she was apprehensive of heavy contact and hits early on in her latest return.

“The body does change a fair bit when you have a couple of kids,” she said.

“I was pretty woeful the first half of the season – it’s taken me a lot of time to get confidence and speed back into these legs.”

Carter’s Eagles will take on Camperdown, which has loomed as their greatest foes in 2017, with their three matches to date decided by two goals or less, in the preliminary final at Reid Oval on Saturday.